About the Chefs

Executive Chef Eric Neri, CEC, CCA

The Loews Don CeSar Hotel, proudly features the world-class gourmet talents of renowned Executive Chef Eric Neri. The culinary star and Tampa chef has soared ever since he first picked up a knife in a small northern Italian restaurant in Clinton, New York in 1973. Since then, classically trained Chef Neri has honed his international skills beside Italian, German, French and Hungarian chefs. He went on to work for some of the country's most prestigious companies, like Arvida Corp., Registry Resorts, Club Corporations of America and Interstate Hotels and Resorts, before joining the Don CeSar's already impressive staff in 1991.

Awards and accolades have followed Chef Neri's stellar career. He has garnered 10 gold medals in national culinary competitions. He is an active member of the American Culinary Federation and the Sarasota Chefs Association named him Chef of the Year in 1985. In 1992, he represented the United States as a part of the gold-medal winning USA Culinary Team and was selected Best Chef in Tampa Bay in 1997. He's been host chef for James Beard Foundation special event dinners three times and in 2009, he was granted the prestigious Certified Executive Chef (CEC) and Certified Culinary Administrator (CCA) titles through the American Culinary Foundation. Earlier this year, he received a Cordon D'OR Gold Ribbon Award for his support in the culinary field.

Chef Neri has the herculean job of overseeing all culinary production at the Don CeSar, which includes three very diverse restaurants, three lounges and the distinguished Chef's Table at the Maritana Grille. He has supervised the renovations of two premiere restaurants, the Three-Diamond Sea Porch Cafe and the Four-Diamond Maritana Grille. In his tenure here, the Maritana Grille has earned consecutive awards, has been rated an extraordinary top five for food, decor and service from Zagat and has also been named best new restaurant in Tampa Bay, an Exceptional Restaurant of Florida by Gourmet magazine, one of the top 200 restaurants in Florida by Florida Trend and one of the top 100 restaurants in Florida by Epicurean Rendezvous magazine.

A Recipe from Chef Eric Neri - John's Green Salad

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 cup Local Artisan Greens
• 1 oz Shaved Fennel
• 5 Quartered Heirloom Grape Tomatoes
• 1/2 oz Julienne Red Onion
• 1 Shaved Breakfast Radish
• 1 Tbsp Goat Cheese
• 2 Romaine Leafs
• 1 tsp Grated Asiago Cheese
• 1 Tbsp Chopped Basil
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• Your favorite Balsamic Vinaigrette

PREPARATION

Place the romaine hearts on the plate. Place all the greens and vegetables in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Drizzle some of your vinaigrette on the greens and reserve some for later. Toss the greens well and place on the romaine leafs, top with the goat cheese and asiago cheese. Drizzle more of your vinaigrette over the top of the greens and garnish with fresh chopped basil.

Executive Pastry Chef Tara Bishop

Sweet endings are a guarantee with Tara Bishop, Executive Pastry Chef at the Loews Don CeSar Hotel. The recipient of an Associate of Science degree in Baking and Pastry Arts from the Culinary Institute of America and a Hotel Restaurant Management Degree from the Professional Restaurant and Hotel Management Program, Chef Tara honed her decadent skills at some world-famous spots like Walt Disney Worlds Swan & Dolphin Resort in Orlando, Westin Resort in Hilton Head, South Carolina and the Daufuskie Island Club and Resort in Hilton Head.

Chef Tara in her pink chefs jacket, has been a staple at the Loews Don CeSar for more than ten years. She's won high praise both nationally and internationally for her delicious desserts and pastries, but she's famous for her incredible wedding cakes, which she creates for the nearly 400 weddings hosted by the Loews Don CeSar each year. From traditional fondant and butter cream tiered cakes to outrageous chocolate with green icing and beach-themed confections with white chocolate chaise lounges and sugar-shell sand, Chef Tara customizes her cakes for every bride. In 2008, she took the business of wedding cakes to another level with the wildly successful Custom Cakes by Tara.